William Say

William Say was a mezzotint engraver. He produced mostly portraits and historical subjects after his contemporaries and the old master painters. He was apprenticed to the painter and engraver James Ward (1769 - 1859) and in 1807 he was appointed engraver to the Duke of York. Say was soon recognised for his skill and engraving technique.

Say produced prints after painters such as Rembrandt (1606 - 1669), Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769 - 1830) and Henry Thompson (1773 - 1843) , among others. He also engraved plates for Joseph Mallord William Turner’s (1775 - 1851) 'Liber Studiorum'. During his career Say engraved over 330 plates and in 1820 he was the first printmaker to produce a mezzotint engraved on steel rather than copper.

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